DPD UK
DPD is blazing a trail on the final-mile all-electric fleet front, increasing its fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) by over 900%.
Replacing its diesel fleet is a key priority for DPD – which is why it hasn’t bought a new diesel final-mile vehicle since 2020.
It has sourced all-electric vehicles from Norway, helped invent an innovative eCargo bike, and invested over £92m on new-to-market EVs such as the Ford E-Transit and the Maxus eDeliver.
Building an all-electric fleet quickly highlighted to DPD the need for affordable and user-friendly electric vehicle charging points. To date, it has invested £1.89m in installing more than 250 charging points in its network, while drivers are also encouraged to install home charge points, with 260 of them doing so to date at zero cost to them. DPD has partnered with Pod Point to make installing these stations a simple process and is aiming to have 400 more charge points in place by the end of 2023.
DPD is delivering cleanly in 10 UK cities, which will increase to 30 by the end of 2023. In 2021, its electric vehicles delivered over 16.5 million emission-free parcels, with an annual CO2 saving from the electric fleet of 4.6 tonnes.
This year it is on track to increase this number by almost 60%, reaching 26 million parcels on electric vehicles in 2022 and saving 7,200,000kg of CO2 – the equivalent of planting 28,000 trees. This pace will continue until it achieves its net zero ambition by 2030.
The judges said: “Great diversity in the technology it is bringing to market and trialling – very impressive; the company has the breadth, the appetite and the testimonial evidence for being a clean van operator.”
They described DPD as “a clear trail-blazer for zero-emission parcel deliveries with impressive growth of the EV fleet, innovation in vehicle design, investment in charging infrastructure and customer engagement to improve efficiency”.
“This is recognition we are the UK’s most sustainable delivery company. We’ll be back next year”
Tim Jones, director of marketing, communications and sustainability, DPD UK